THE WITHERS 27 



structure and along its whole course backward 

 it is attached firmly to the summits of the 

 spines. 



The interspinous ligaments are thin mem- 

 branous structures connecting the spines to one 

 another and completely filling in the space 

 between them from the bodies to the supraspi- 

 nous ligament above, and thus completing a 

 perfect partition between the two halves of the 

 withers 



The dorso-scaj)ular ligament is a reflection 

 of the superficial fascia. It is a thick aponeu- 

 rosis attached dorsally to the crest of the 

 withers and passing outward and downward 

 under the rhomboideus to the scapula and 

 giving off layers which pass between the under- 

 lying muscles — the longissimus and spinalis. 

 At the crest it is really the aponeurotic origin 

 of both the rhomboideus thoracalis and the 

 splenius. 



The importance of these ligaments in fistula 

 of the withers lies in the fact that they are 

 implicated in the disease more commonly than 

 the other component parts. Lying adjacent to 

 the initial seat of the inflammatory process, 

 and being but poorly nourished structures, they 

 fall an easy prey to microbic products, becom- 

 ing riddled with necrotic areas and thus pre- 

 venting cicatrization of contiguous abscess 



